


Bitter and Sweet

by BlueNerdBird



Series: The Vellan-Carter Legacy [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, M/M, Multi, The main character has seen some shit guys, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 01:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17132741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueNerdBird/pseuds/BlueNerdBird
Summary: Fenaren gives Caitris away to be married. Such emotional moments tend to bring up unpleasant memories. Things have always been rough on Fenaren, between his parents and a woman named Ari, he struggles with the weight of his past.





	Bitter and Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up, this fic does specifically cover an emotional abusive/manipulative relationship and some shitty parenting. If either of those bother you I do not continue, Fenaren bore the brunt of a lot of shit from their parents, and this fic covers his abuse in depth. I don't go into graphic detail, but I just wanted to give a heads up before the fic begins!

Fenaren’s never been to a wedding before. All he knew about them was all the bullshit that his family almost put his sister through in her arranged wedding. This however, this was something he’d never experienced.

It was a small chapel, dark except for a few dancing lights that floated like stars above their heads. He was dressed in the cleanest, nicest outfit he still carried, and he had retied his braid to match Caitris’. He looked over and saw his sister dressed in a cheap dress they’d found in a market yesterday, patched strangely and not the most fitting, but she glowed nonetheless.

\----

_ The first party Fenaren attended was when he was 12. Barely a child in the eyes of his people, but he saw Caitris getting ready and wanted to go with her, despite being two years younger. She seemed to not like the dresses they put on her, and the makeup and jewelry adorning her. _

_ Fenaren liked the fancy clothes he got to wear, and he liked that he got to braid his hair like his sister. He was too young to understand why his parents told him and Caitris not to talk, but he listened. Led around by their parents, they couldn’t leave their side or talk about anything. _

_ Mom and Dad didn’t say anything to him or Caitris the whole night. He thought it’d be fun, with people dressed in beautiful dresses and robes dancing with each other, but he didn’t like the people his parents talked to. They were dressed in scary masks that hid their faces and stayed in shadows like criminals. _

_ Every time he looked at Caitris, her eyes looked cold. He didn’t know why, and he decided then that parties that made his sister look like that were not fun at all. _

_ \-----  _

Samran was standing up at the altar next to a priest, brown eyes beaming as he looked over at Caitris. Thoughts swirled around Fenaren’s head, but he could only feel a bittersweet sadness that he was the one giving her away. Their useless parents wouldn’t have liked her marrying a half-elf, and that bothered him.

It’s not like they ever approved of anything he or Caitris did.

\------ 

_ It was his 45 _ _ th _ _ birthday. Fenaren wanted to spend time with Caitris, but their parents had arranged a boring dinner party instead. They hadn’t even mentioned his birthday, or anything to do with him. _

_ Then again, it was always about his sister. She was the older one, and the one groomed to take over the family when she was old enough. He wanted to resent her for it, but she was the only one who paid him any mind. He loved her too much, and she loved him in return. Neither of their parents were kind, and by now Fenaren had figured out that the people they dealt with in shadows were not respectable by any means. _

_ Somehow, by some grace of the gods, he managed to slip away from the party unnoticed. Fed up with his life, he ran. _

_ Dressed in the fine clothes of a noble, he felt parts of his clothes tear as he ran toward the town, away from their estate. _

_ Eventually he came upon a tavern. It was loud, bright, and everything Fenaren had been craving. They had drinks, people his own age to dance with, and he felt himself come alive in a way he’d never experienced. _

_ When morning came and woke Fenaren from a spot passed out on the bar, he rushed back home as fast as his legs would take him. After a strong lecture from his parents, he immediately ran and told Caitris all about his adventure. Several years later, she gathered the courage to go with him. _

_ \--------  _

As they reached the altar, Caitris turned to him with a teary smile, and he felt tears gather in his own eyes. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and let go to stand beside her. He wiped tears from his eyes as he recalled all the fun times they’d had together, and how much they’d relied on each other through the hard times.

\------ 

_ As the two siblings grew in age, their parents expected more from them. Descendants from a family of warriors, they were sent to train in steel and armor. Caitris excelled, her natural strength making her a fine warrior. Fenaren was not built like her. With a smaller frame and skinnier limbs, he couldn’t take the hits like she could. _

_ His parents mistook his physique for weakness and pushed him harder. Some nights, Fenaren went to his sister’s room instead of his and would hug her and cry after 7 hours of nonstop training. He was not made to be a warrior. _

_ Most nights they would sit together and read or tell stories. She didn’t like being treated like a fragile doll, paraded around at parties like a show dog. He didn’t like being run into the ground by trainers who didn’t give a shit about him. _

_ Instead he learned to take care of his appearance. He learned different ways to braid his hair and would often practice on his sister. He would sneak out and he learned to flirt. He found comfort in many strangers through the years, both male and female. _

_ He found it best to take it one day at a time. It was always easier with her at his side. _

_ \-----  _

“Samran Carter, do you promise to take this woman as your wife? To stand at her side through all of life’s challenges, and to love her until the end of your days?” an elderly priest asked.

Fenaren was good at reading people. Not back then, but now. He got better at telling lies, at talking to people, and rooting out hidden emotions.

There were none on the face of his sister’s fiancé. Standing next to her, he could see the lights from above shining off of his eyes as he looked at her, and Fenaren felt his heart begin to ache. He’d looked at someone that way once. It was too bad he didn't realize they never returned it.  


\------ 

_ Ari was a charming elven woman. Almost as charming as Fenaren was becoming at age 90, and he was intrigued. The flirting came first, and that part was always easy. He wanted to say the mind-blowing sex surprised him, but it was something else entirely. _

_ As they lay in bed together afterward, she began to ask him questions. About his life, his sister, and in turn he began to ask her about her life. They talked for hours, and before he knew it, the sun was rising in the east outside the window. _

_ Dressing with haste, Fenaren blurted out, _

_ “Can I see you again?” as her eyes widened in surprise. _

_ “Meet me here at nightfall, I’ll be waiting Fenny.” _

_ Sure enough, she kept true to her word. So, he kept coming back. For six months, they would have sex and talk afterward, sometimes about little things, but other times about bigger things. He told her more than anyone other than his sister, but something about the way she would run her hands through his hair and kiss his insecurities away made his mouth spill more than he intended. _

_ He should have known something was wrong when she tried to pit him against Caitris. _

_ “Why do you let her take all the attention? You’re clearly the more charming sibling, it should be you becoming the heir to your family’s estate,” she said one night, and Fenaren’s ears went back against his head. He hadn’t considered the idea, but it made sense coming from her. _

_ Her silver tongue drew a chasm between him and his sister. Caitris tried to ask him about it, but he only grew resentful. Then Ari began to belittle him. _

_ “You should work more with the trainers Fenny. Your shoulders are looking thin, and I’d hate for you to be weaker than your sister.” _

_ “Fenny, darling, I don’t know if you should drink so much. I’ve heard it’s bad for your health.” _

_ “Fenny, I don’t think you should be around your sister. Your parent’s favoritism isn’t good for you, it’s better if you just stay with me instead.” _

_ One day, thin as a rod and borderline miserable, Fenaren approached his sister. He told her to come with him to the tavern, to meet Ari. He thought that if Ari could just meet Caitris, then things would be better. Maybe she wouldn’t be so harsh on Caitris, or on him. _

_ He was elated when she agreed, but he missed the concern in her eyes as she saw how thin his arms were and how sunken his eyes had gotten. _

_ Fenaren had no idea that he’d been set up. From day one, she’d never been his. Their parents were waiting for them at the tavern, Ari standing by their side. _

_ “So this is where you’ve been. Sneaking out and disgracing our family name,” his mother said harshly, and Fenaren felt his ears droop and his face redden in shame. _

_ “’Fenny?’ Really? You’re a disappointment Fenaren. We wanted to see if you really were the scoundrel that the townspeople had mentioned, and our fears were confirmed. Even worse, you’d drag your sister to places like this!” _

_ Fenaren felt his hands begin to shake. He felt Caitris grab one of his shaking hands. _

_ “It’s not his fault! I went here of my own volition, and we only did it because we were never allowed anything! You never treated us like the children we were, or the people that we’ve become! We’ve only ever been accessories to a shitty legacy built on an empty sense of honor.” _

_ Tears flowed freely down Fenaren’s face. _

_ “You two will be punished for your insubordination. Caitris, by the end of the week we’re going to be finding you a husband to be married to. Fenaren, you will be sent off to a school for assassins after Caitris is married. You will succeed in our family, even if they must break you first,” his father’s voice chimed in after a look between him and his mother. _

_ As his parents walked out, beckoning for them to follow, Fenaren looked at Ari for a final time. _

_ “It was good money Fenny, nothing personal. It’s just business.” _

_ \------  _

“And you Caitris, do you take Samran to be your husband, bonded together in life and death? To love and cherish him as he loves and cherishes you?”

Fenaren tried to hold back sniffles. He’d always been bad at holding back his emotions, but it seems like it’s been getting worse lately. Maybe it was the prospect of losing Caitris to a man she loved more than life itself. Maybe it was the thought of her not needing him like he still needs her. It’s hard to tell.

“I do,” she said, and he wished he could see the look on her face. He’s certain it’s full of life, and possibly unshed tears, much different than the time of her last engagement.

\----- 

_ It was second nature as Fenaren groomed himself for tonight’s party. Braiding his hair and keeping his clothes orderly was the only thing he could control. He had no control over the man Caitris was to meet tonight. He had no control of the affair she’s having with their only friend in this lonely estate. _

_ He had no control over the outcome of their plans tonight. Whether or not they escaped was up to fate to decide. A fully stocked bag was propped up at the end of his bed, ready to grab at a moment’s notice. _

_ As he joined the party, dressed in a black tunic with gold leaf trim on it, he put on a mask to hide the disgust he felt. It was an ornate mask, silver in color with matching gold detailing that hid the fear in his eyes. _

_ It didn’t take long to find his sister, dressed in a silky red dress, flowing and radiant with her hair pinned up in an elaborate braid. Much different than the braids they did themselves under the cover of night. _

_ “You ready sister?” Fenaren asked. As she turned to look at him, he saw the way her green eyes clashed against her red dress. _

_ “As much as I’ll ever be,” she answered. Fenaren’s ears perked up as a beautiful woman with bouncing brown curls walked past and he couldn’t help but watch. _

_ “I won’t stop you brother,” his sister’s voice cut in. It snapped him back to his senses as he shook his head. _

_ “Maybe in another time, but we should be ready to go. I’ll find my way to the gardens, if you can find Samran and book it out of here when you have a chance,” he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. _

_ He separated from her, just long enough to see the same stoic expression cross her features that he’d seen as a child, and he furrowed his eyebrows from underneath the mask. He never liked that look, and if things went smoothly tonight, he vowed that she’d never have to wear that look again. _

_ \------  _

Fenaren wiped away a tear as his sister kissed her now-husband. It was sweet, and everything he knew she wanted. He’d only wanted her happiness after seeing her unhappy for so many years, and he was so grateful to live to see it. Things had been dicey for a while, and at one point he would’ve been killed had it not been for Samran, but he was here now.

The scar on his cheek would never heal, but it was a small price to pay to stand next to Caitris on her wedding day in the same clothes that he wore the day they escaped.

\---- 

_ They’d been on the run for months. Moving from town to town, with Caitris and Fenaren taking mercenary work where they could. Samran stayed with them, or rather, with Caitris. _

_ Fenaren loved them both to death, but the whole third wheel act was getting tiring. At least that night, the tavern was full, so they had to spend the night camping in the woods together. Where Fenaren hoped that they wouldn’t make him uncomfortable for the umpteenth time. He understood that they were finally free to explore their relationship away from the pressure of their family, but Fenaren didn’t want to be around for any part of it. Ever. _

_ Much to Fenaren’s delight, he was able to get a full three hours of meditation, with the two lovebirds passed out in a bedroll next to him. At some point he drifted off, he didn’t remember when, but as he came to, he saw a group of drow raiders moving in for the kill. _

_ The fight was rough as the two of them fought to keep Samran safe. As much training as the Vellan siblings had in combat, Samran had none. They fought together well, back to back as they fought off the would-be attackers. In a flash however, Fenaren felt a blade enter his stomach through his blind spot, and he yelped out, causing Caitris to turn from her opponent. In a moment of pure instinct, he saw the drow woman go to stab Caitris, but he leapt in front of her. _

_ The blade that would’ve ended his life just barely missed as a cast iron pot connected with the head of his attacker, sending her blade askew as it cut across his cheek. _

_ As the woman fell forward, Samran was standing behind her, hands shaking as he held the pot in front of him. Fenaren held his side as he felt blood drip onto the ground, staring wordlessly at Samran. _

_ “Thank you,” was all he managed before he hit the ground unconscious. _

_ \------  _

The chapel was almost empty besides them. No one had come to witness it other than him, and as the happy couple walked down the aisle, Fenaren felt his heart grow until it began to hurt.

No longer would he be the one she turned to for comfort or guidance. She had a husband now, and he wouldn’t be surprised if they began a family years later.

It’s not like he was aching for a relationship, especially anything like his last one. He still had flashbacks from Ari’s cutting words, and some days it was only his sister’s reassurance and affirming words that helped him get out of dangerous mindsets.

He was left alone beside the priest as they walked out the doors. Before he could move to follow them, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t be discouraged young man. Young love is a beautiful thing, but family runs deep as well. I’ve seen a lot of weddings in my time and seen people like you before. It’s not the end, but a beginning. She’s found her happiness, don’t be afraid to go find your own,” the priest said with a smile. Fenaren sniffled further as tears began to flow more freely at his words.

He cried because he knew the priest was right. Gone were the days of him relying on his sister, if he was to try and find any happiness in this world, he was going to have to find it on his own.

**Author's Note:**

> And this marks the beginning of the next focus of these stories: Fenaren! After the wedding is when I'm currently playing him as a mastermind rogue/arcane archer in Storm King's Thunder! There will be more fics to come, including a few of the next generation of the Vellan-Carter family!


End file.
